Appreciate
by pleasedonteatme
Summary: That day was Gabriella's birthday. It was never supposed to happen the way it did. Life is too short so take the time and Appreciate. Songfic to Appreciate by Nick Jonas. Troyella


Appreciate by Nick Jonas

Song Lyrics **Bold**

Storyline _Italics_

**There's a man dying on the side of the road,  
Won't make it home tonight. **

___Troy lay there on the pavement, his body burning with pain. He saw red lights in the distance. He knew he was going to die. It was like a feeling, and he didn't like it. It was getting harder for him to breath and he could feel his blood soak through his clothes._

**  
He was driving fast on his cellular phone,  
That's how he lived his life.  
**

_He was driving back from a family reunion out of town. He begged his parents for hours, asking them to let him go back. It was Gabriella's 16__th__ birthday, and he was missing it. _

_As he was sitting in his truck, driving as fast as he could. His phone rang and looked at the caller id. Chad's picture came up. "Hello?"_

"_Dude where are you?"_

"_I'm driving," Troy replied adjusting his phone._

"_Well hurry up..."_

"_Shit!" Troy yelled and the line went dead._

**While he was hangin' by a thread  
These were the final words he said **

_He opened his eyes again to see a policeman kneeling down next to him, asking if he could talk, if he was okay. He knew he was far from okay and wasn't going to waste his words on that. "Listen, I need a favor," he managed. The policeman nodded._****

My girl turns sweet sixteen today,  
She's beautiful, so beautiful.  
It might get rough sometimes  
But I hope she keeps her faith (hope she keeps her faith)  
I wish I'd grabbed the chance to say to her  
Life is too short so take that time and appreciate  


"_I need you to tell Gabriella Montez I love her. Tell her I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't be there tonight," he said. He gasped for breath. "Tell her happy sweet sixteen. Tell her she's the most beautiful girl in the _

_world. No matter what life throws at her, tell her to keep her faith. Life it too short so take the time and appreciate." And with that, Troy Bolton let go._

**  
There's a woman crying on the kitchen floor,  
She got a call tonight **

_Marissa Montez let out a sob as she hung up. It was the Bolton's calling to tell her the terrible news they received a few minutes ago. Her daughter's boyfriend died in a car accident. It was her 16__th__ birthday and that was not the way to celebrate it. There were people at their house, dancing to music in the backyard with lights everywhere. And her daughter, was away in her bedroom._

**  
Now she's trembling outside her daughter's door  
Walks in and holds her tight **

_Gabriella was sitting on her bed, her knees brought up to her chest. She had her cell phone in her hand waiting for his call. He was supposed to be there, he promised. She sighed as someone knocked on her door. "Come in," she said._

_Her mom came in with tears going down her cheeks. Gabriella got up from the bed and looked at her mom. "Mom... what's wrong?" she asked. Her mom just shook her head and wrapped her arms around her daughter. _

**  
Wondering how and where to start,  
Is there a way to shield her heart?**

_"Mom, What's wrong, you can tell me," Gabriella said. Her mom pulled back from the hug and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. She lifted her left hand and placed it on Gabriella's cheek. She couldn't tell her about Troy. It would break her heart and leave way too much damage. She could tell her another time._

"_It's okay, sweetie. I'll tell you some other time. Not now."_

"_You sure?"_

"_Yes."_****

My girl turns sweet sixteen today,  
She's beautiful, so beautiful  
It might get rough sometimes  
But I hope she keeps her faith.(hope she keeps her faith)  
I wish I'd grabbed the chance to say to her  
Life is too short so take that time and Appreciate  


"_Anyways," her mom started, wiping her tears. "Why are you up here? It's your sixteenth birthday. You should be having fun with everyone else, downstairs." Gabriella gave a short, weak smile._

"_Troy's not here. He promised he'd be here, and he's not," she said. Her mom looked down and nodded._

"_I don't know how to tell you this sweetie..."_

"_Tell me what?" Gabriella asked. Her mom looked up and sighed._

"_Gabi... Troy's not coming." Gabriella gave a confused look._

"_But he promised. And Chad just told me he was on his way..."_

"_There was an accident," Marissa said. Gabriella's eyes got huge and she couldn't let out a word. "Troy, he was driving over here. There was a drunk driver... Honey, I'm sorry." And with that, Gabriella Montez fell into her mother's arms and broke down._

**  
Anybody loving will  
Get hurt along the way  
**

"_Its...not...fair," Gabriella managed between sobs. Her Troy was gone. Dead. She'd never get to see him again. Her world was crashing down. _

"_I know, sweetie, I know," Marissa said rubbing her daughters back._

"_I. Loved. Him."_

"_And loves you too. And you have to understand, he never wanted you to get hurt like this."_

**Don't be afraid to open up  
And use the time you have before it fades  
Show your love today  
**

_After about ten minutes, Chad came in upset as well. Marissa left and the two of them sat on her bed, just crying together. After their tears stopped, Chad spoke._

"_Troy wouldn't want you staying bottled up in your room. He would want you to remember him as he lived, not how he died. It's your sixteenth birthday. And you should used the time you have before it fades. Troy would want you to," Chad said placing a hand on Gabriella's shoulder, giving a small smile. Gabriella wiped her eyes and smiled._

"_Yes, he would. Life it too short. We need to take the time and appreciate it."_

"_That's the spirit. Come on let's go downstairs."_

"_I'll meet you down there. I'll just be a sec." Chad nodded and left the room._

_Gabriella went to her bedside table and grabbed a picture of her and Troy. She looked at it taking in his features. "I love you Troy."_

**  
My girl turns sweet sixteen today,  
She's beautiful, so beautiful.  
It might get rough sometimes  
**

**but I hope she keeps her faith.(hope she keeps her faith)  
I wish I'd grabbed the chance to say to her  
Life is too short so take that time and appreciate.  
Life is too short so take that time and appreciate. **


End file.
